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Weather Overview for Nice

Nice has a beautiful Mediterranean climate with gorgeous mild temperatures for most of the year. You can expect brilliant, sunny summers and cool winters. Nice is in Provence on the Cote d’Azur, or French Riviera, on France’s southeast Mediterranean coast which is famed for its exceptional weather.

The city has hills to its north which provide the city with protection, contributing to the fine weather for which Nice is so widely celebrated. The city does receive sufficient rain year round but short showers are more common than days of drizzle.

Nice is frequently visited by the mistral, a cool wind that usually blows from the north, but is channelled by surrounding mountains to come at the Cote d’Azur from the east. The mistral is a particularly dry wind and can be partially thanked for this region’s abundance of clear skies, as when it blows it has a tendency to dissipate clouds. The mistral is a well-loved wind because of the clear weather it usually brings, but also more specifically by sailors and windsurfers, who know the coast of Provence for this strong wind.

Nice is France’s second most popular city for tourists to visit, second only to Paris. Aside from having beautiful beaches and enviable weather, it is packed full of cultural delights from local cuisine, to endless museums, to the famed ‘always in flower’ Promenade des Anglais, to the narrow streets of Vieux Nice, ‘Old Nice’, lined with buildings of Belle Epoque, Neo-Classical and Baroque design. Nice has its own dialect, Niçard, and is actually one of the oldest settlements in the world – originally established by the ancient Greeks.

Summer

Summers in Nice are long and hot, but like many of its neighbouring Mediterranean cities the hot days are made pleasant by the cooling sea breeze. However, this usually arrives in the evenings, after when it is really needed – scorching summer days which often see Nice reach temperatures of 38 – 40°C. The average high temperature reaches 20°C as early as May. It gets up to 24°C in June, 27°C in July, peaks at 28°C in August before receding to 25°C in September. Night times are warm throughout the season and if it’s particularly humid you might find yourself feeling a bit uncomfortable if you don’t have air conditioning.  Rainfall is relatively low at the start of summer and July is the driest month in the year, but September sees a jump in rainfall and the odd heavy downpour or thunderstorm is quite likely. You’re bound to see plenty of sun throughout the season, but July is by far the sunniest month with an average of eleven hours per day.

The Mediterranean peaks in temperature at 23°C in August, and is generally pleasant to swim in throughout the season. However, if the mistral blows it can push the warm sea water away from the shore, allowing cooler water to come up from below.

Summertime is the ideal time to visit Nice; the promenades are filled with good food, good wine and this is merely capped off by the exquisite Mediterranean weather conditions.

Autumn

The summer heat lingers long into autumn with the average high temperature remaining at 21°C in October. It does cool off quite quickly at the end of October and you’ll generally need an extra layer for the evenings. November receives an average high temperature of 16°C which is very mild in comparison to northern Europe at this time of year, but an average low of 9°C will remind you that summer has passed. The sea stays warm enough for swimming right through October, though it will take a bit more courage the closer you get to November. While autumn is very mild, it is also the wettest time of year in Nice and you’re likely to get a few showers.

Winter

Winter weather in Nice (December through until February) is mild, with an average high temperature of 13°C, and an average low of 6°C, in January and February – the coldest months. The thermometer rarely shows below 5°C, even at night. Nice still receives quite a bit of rain in the winter months, but wet days are broken up by frequent crisp and sunny days. Nice gets an average of five hours of sunshine per day throughout the winter which is a vast improvement on the gloomy conditions you’ll find in the UK (one hour of sunshine a day... not so nice). Frost rarely forms and snow falls extremely rarely.

There’ll be no swimming or sunbathing in the winter but that hasn’t stopped Nice from being a popular winter destination. It is mild in comparison to more northerly Europe with high sunshine levels, and there is plenty to enjoy irrespective of the weather. If you need to escape a dreary British winter then a break in Nice can provide days full of activity and good food.

Spring

Spring, from March till May, sees a steady return of the warmth, plenty of sunshine but little change in rainfall. The average high temperature climbs to a mild 15°C in March, 17°C in April and 20°C in May. From mid April it is not unheard of for the sun to push temperatures up to the low 20s. Night times remain cool, and the sea rather brisk till the end of the season. Sunshine levels steadily increase from six hours per day in March to eight in May. Showers remain relatively frequent, only reducing at the end of May. But don’t let that put you off – a few rainy days are sure to be accompanied by more of clear skies and warmth.

Spring brings the European festival season and flowering countryside, so it is a popular time to visit. The beaches and museums aren’t quite as busy as when the summer crowds arrive.